In a nutshell
In his update to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court during a special meeting, Waybourn said the DOJ sent the chief of the National Institute of Corrections and the Falcon Group to inspect the jail May 13-15. According to county documents, the inspection of the facility was comprised of several virtual meetings, a thorough review of documents and three days of on-site tours and interviews.
While the inspection came shortly after three inmate deaths, Waybourn said the inspection team appreciated the access provided saying it “reflects leadership within Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office and a system that seeks to treat incarcerated individuals as well as possible.”
In the report, the group had other positive comments, including:
- TCSO has an “engaged and thoughtful jail administration and clinical leadership staff”
- Solid retention and recruitment efforts for My Health My Resources of Tarrant County, JPS Health Network and TCSO
- The jail was clean and odor-free, especially compared to the other facilities they reviewed.
Waybourn also discussed the two issues that have plagued the jail in recent months: the number of deaths and the treatment of inmates with mental issues.
Waybourn said that Tarrant County Jail has experienced six suicides since 2017, making its suicide rate one of the lowest in the state. He added in 2023, jail staff intervened and prevented 279 suicide attempts. So far in 2024, jail staff intervened and prevented 350 suicide attempts.
In terms of overall deaths, 58 inmates have died since 2017, according to county documents. The breakdown is as follows:
- 45 of natural causes
- 6 suicides
- 7 from alcohol and/or drugs
- 3 accidental (2 from falls, 1 drug overdose)
- 2 homicides
- 1 is pending
When it comes to addressing the mental health needs of inmates, Waybourn said detention staff made over 44,000 referrals to MHMR last year.
“Individuals who come into our facility and are diagnosed with mental health issues requiring treatment are set up with a 30-day supply of medications and doctor referrals to ensure continuity of care upon release,” Waybourn said.
He added that last year, 750 people in the state of Texas were restored to competency. Of those, Waybourn said more than half—430—came from Tarrant County.
Some recommendations the DOJ group had for Waybourn and his staff included:
- Adding lower-level infirmary care to attend to non-acute patients who don’t require 24/7 nursing
- Adding a health assessment 10-14 days after the initial health assessment given during intake
- Housing inmates that are detoxing differently to include more out of cell time in a more pleasant physical environment
- Updating the physical environment to include more natural lighting to reinforce a culture of rehabilitation and humane treatment
What they’re saying
Following Waybourn’s report, Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons offered kudos to Waybourn for the efforts of MHMR, JPS and TCSO staff, but added that she was unconvinced about the validity of the DOJ report and called for the DOJ Civil Rights division to conduct an inspection.
“We do have a problem with in-custody deaths in this jail,” Simmons said. “Until we get honest about it and transparent about it, that’s probably when we’ll come to some solutions.”
Waybourn pushed back against Simmons' comments, citing that the types of deaths occurring in TCJ are beyond his capacity to control.
“I can’t raise people from the dead and I don’t have cancer cure pills,” Waybourn said. “If someone’s determined to commit suicide, they often complete it. Those things happen. Accidents happen.”
Waybourn then questioned Simmons regarding her comment about the civil rights division completing an inspection of TCJ.
“Just for clarification, you’re asking for a criminal investigation by the DOJ,” Waybourn said. “Is that correct?”
“That is correct,” Simmons said.
